The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-11-11
LEATHER FROM HUMAN SKIN.
A Flourishing Pennsylvania Tanucry
Where IL is Prepared for the
shoemaker.

remember that two or three years ago | in
cldentally referred to prominent physician
Of this city wearing shoes made from the skin
OF negroes He stil adheres to that custom,
insisting that the tanned hide Of an African
makes the most enduring and the most pliable
leather known to man.
Only last week met him upon the street
with brand new pair OF shoes. looked at
his foot wear, as always do-hls pedal cover
ings have an irresistible fascination for ne
and said with a smile, as the down-trodden
African still beneath your feet" In the most
matter-of-fact way, and without the shadow
OF smile, he answered, 81 suppose you mean
to inquire If | still wear shoes made of the skin
Of negro ] certainly do, and don't propose
changing In that respect. until find leather
that Is softer and will last longer and present
better appearance | have no sentiment
about this matter. Were | Southerner-in the
American sense of that world might be ac'
cused Of being actuated by race prejudice.
But am foreigner BY BIRTH although now
an American citzen by naturalization. |
fought in the rebellion that the blacks might
be freed. | would use a white mans skin for
the same purpose II II were sufficiently thick,
and II any one has desire to wear my epder.
mis- upon his feet after | have drawn my last
breath he has nv ante-mortem permission"
The DOCTORS shoes always exhibit peculi'
arly rich lustrousness In their blackness. He
assures me that they never hurt his feet. Tho
new pair he was using when last saw him
amitted no creaking sound and appeared as
comfortable as though they had been worn
month. Their predecessors, be told me, had
been in constant use for eight months. He
obtains the skin from the bodies of negroes
which have been dssected in one OF our big
medical colleges. The best leather Is obtained
from the thighs. The soles are formed by
placing several layers of leather together. The
skin is prepared by tanner at Womelsdorf,
sixteen miles from Reading. The shoes are
fashioned by French shoemaker Of this city,
who knows nothing OF the true character OF
the leather, but who often wonders at Its ex-
quisite smoothness and says that 1t excels the
finest French calfskin.
Do not for moment think that this doc
tor presents an exceptional case OF one whs
puts the human skin TO a practical use. Medi-
cal students frequently display great variety
of articles In which the skin or bones of some
dissected mortal has been gruesomely utilized
aud in bursts OF generosity they sometimes
present these to their friends. who prize them
highly. One Of the dudest dudes In town car
rles match-safe covered with portion OF
the skin Of a beautiful Young woman who was
found drowned in the Delaware River. IL still
retains its narural color. Another young man
with whom | am acquainted carries cigar
case made Of negro skin, CHASTITY skull and
cross bones appearing on one side In relief.
One of the best known surgeons In this
country. who resides In this city, has beauti-
full instrument case entirely covered with
leather made from an Africans skin. A
young society lady OF this city wears a beaut-
ful pair Of dark slippers, the remarkable
lustrousness OF whose leather invariably eI-
cites the admiration of her friends when they
see them. The young doctor who presented
them to her recently returned from an Extend
ed foreign tour, and he told her that he had
purchased them from Turk In Alexandria
and that he did not know what sort of leather
they were made Of but he supposed IL was the
skin Of some wild animal. As matter OF
fact, the skin came from a negro cadaver
which once was prone on Jefferson College
dlssecting table, and the leather was prepared
In Womelsdorf The rosettes on the slippers
were deftly fashioned from the negro's kinky
hair.-IhHdds'Dhid Nei0s